Try Again
by Writer Rebellion
Summary: "Being the new girl in town isn't something I'd ever recommend, so avoid it if you can. If the stares, the whispers and the painfully awkward 'get to know the new girl' conversations weren't bad enough then you always have that one teacher that makes you stand in front of the class and introduce yourself." R
1. Chapter 1

**Try Again**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: I have no clue where this is going.**

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Living with Charlie isn't something I'd ever imagine myself volunteering for, and yet here I am. He was an absent father since the divorce, though no more absent than Renee herself. At least Charlie had an excuse for his absence, living in another state and all. None of that really matters now, Renee is off in Florida with her new husband and I'm here in, arguably, the wettest town in Northwestern United States.

"It's raining." His gruff voice drawls my attention from the kitchen window. He looks nervous, awkward, as he stands at the entrance of the kitchen, fiddling with the paper, not making eye contact. Charlie doesn't understand kids let alone teenage girls. Poor Charlie.

I nod, fiddling with the coffee cup in my hands, his nerves affecting me now. "It's been raining since I got here." I see the beginnings of a smirk pull at the edges of his mustache before he finally looks up and makes eye contact. It doesn't last long before he's watching the clock on the microwave. Maybe next time huh Charlie?

"I…" He struggles for the words that we both know will never come. I watch him struggle. I wait, but nothing comes, like we both knew it wouldn't. His sighs disappointed in himself maybe, frustrated a little, and significantly more awkward than when he first walked into the kitchen and found me sitting atop the counter, nursing my coffee.

"Have a good day at work Charlie." I save him, throw him a rope and yet I shut him down at the same time. He attempted to try, but we both know it was half-hearted. What can the guy really say to the seventeen year old girl in his kitchen, a girl he hasn't properly spoken with since she was thirteen in an awkward ten minute birthday phone call?

The relief is palpable as his shoulders drop and his stature relaxes. He nods once, twice. "You too." Then he's gone from his spot, across the dining room and to the door. There's a pause as his hand rests on the doorknob and for a second I think he's found his courage, but only for a second because I hear the click of the door and then moments later the sound of his engine. Almost Charlie, almost.

* * *

Being the new girl in town isn't something I'd ever recommend, so avoid it if you can. If the stares, the whispers and the painfully awkward 'get to know the new girl' conversations weren't bad enough then you always have that one teacher that makes you stand in front of the class and introduce yourself. It seems that here at Forks High, original, that teacher is Mr. Baker fourth period English Lit.

"Alright pipe down, pipe down. Put the call phones away Ms. Stanley, Mr. Newton! Now, everyone please give your attention to Ms. Swan, the floors yours." He winks at me, and honestly the guy has been watching a little too much Pretty Little Liars, because even though he looks like Mr. Fitz, I'm no Aria.

The class waits; literally I think a few are holding their breath, pathetic. Wannabe Mr. Fitz leans against the corner of his desk, watching, waiting, leering. Gross. I roll my eyes to myself, clear my throat and talk, clearly uninterested and unconvinced. "Isabella Swan. Prefer Bella. Seventeen. Yes, I'm Charlie Swan's daughter. Moved here from Arizona. And no, I don't have a favorite color." I throw that last part in just to be sarcastic, but now they think I'm funny and that I have a nice personality. Damn myself.

"Well then, how about a favorite book or author? Maybe even a favorite passage?" Not-Mr. Fitz pushes, laughed around his words like his in on the joke. He's not. He is the joke, along with the rest of this town.

"True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." I recite without much thought, no hesitation. The other students stare at me as if there is something more, something to explain. Mr. Baker looks equally confused as impressed, as if I've done something impressive or confusing.

"Very impressive Ms. Swan, please take your seat." I roll my eyes, walking over and taking the seat in the corner. They're not subtle in their staring, nor are they subtle in their confusion. I doubt the teacher even knows who I just quoted. Open note book and pen in hand, I wait for Mr. Baker to start the lesson, not that I'm expecting too much from someone who doesn't recognize Socrates.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." The words glide over me like warm honey and the whisper of a bee's wings. I turn and look at the girl on my left and spot her already looking at me with a soft smile on her impossibly pink lips. But all I can see is gold. I'm struck.

"You know Socrates?" I'm impressed and my words are colored with it, she giggles and it does nothing to break me from my surprise. She's impish as she looks at me; her eyes squinted as if peering at me, through me, to the very depths. Her smile though, speaks of a hidden shyness that her confidence protects.

She shrugs, her chin coming to rest on a dainty hand as she gazes at me, but she's the sight to be held. A cross between a wood nymph and a runway model, she's beautiful, stunning and impossibly fey. "I'm Alice."

And I'm beguiled. I mean Bella! Shit.


	2. Clichés

**Clichés **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**AN: So there's a few people interested in this story, though I've no clue why lol. But Hey let's see where this leads yeah? R&R!**

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Alice laughed, no she giggled, and it was like a hundred wind chimes dancing along to the same beat, altogether gentler than anything in the room and yet, louder than everything. "It's nice to meet you, Bella."

I smile, still just a bit dazed by this wind chime sounding, philosophy quoting, runway looking girl. Never thought I'd run into this in a place like Forks. "Yeah, nice to meet you as well, Alice." The rest of the class is a bust, like I suspected it'd be. Mr. Baker had us annotate a few pages from 'Romeo and Juliet' that we'll hand in at the end of the class period for credit. Pretty standard.

I'm done a few minutes before the bell rings and so, quietly, I pack my things up. "Finished so soon, Ms. Swan?" Evidently I wasn't discrete enough. I sigh and look up and him.

I grit my teeth as the class not so subtly focuses their attention on me. "Yes." He grins smugly, propping himself at the edge of his desk once more.

"Great. Then can you give me your opinion of the kind of story Shakespeare was trying to convey?" Really? That's the best question he can think to ask me.

I shrug, "It's obviously that Shakespeare was telling a story about star-crossed lovers, everyone knows that. Romeo and Juliet are separated by their families and yet, when they meet everything they knew and loved fell to the wayside and in its place a love bloomed and grew into something that neither could live without. And so, in the end, upon the realization that they could never have such a love in the world they lived in, they took their love to their graves. A love that awakened them to life was the greatest cause of their death, but it's a price they made knowingly, no matter the way in which it played out." I finish and he smiles as if he's done his job as a teacher. That just pisses me off.

"However." His eyes widen as I continue. "I my _opinion_ the story that Shakespeare convey isn't the story he wanted to tell. What _I_ take from the story is to people, one of legal age and the other hardly in puberty, turn a fleeting attraction within a world of masquerades and chaos and mistaken it for something more. Lust, love, hatred, and obsession are more closely related than anyone could ever assume. Romeo's attraction turns to lust, to obsession that he mistakes for love, but is actually more like hatred. He takes on this attitude that she belongs to him. Now Juliet is no different, she plays the role willingly. They meet for merely a few minutes, barely a few words pass between the two and suddenly they're in love?

"Then they meet up in the guise of night and she allows him into her bed, sealing both their fates. When Romeo is forced away from his obsession and when their plans to reconcile are thwarted and deceived, he kills himself over her body, then she takes her own life, not because they are in love but because they left infatuation and obsession twist them into something…wrong. Romeo and Juliet are not star-crossed lovers with the world against them. They are naïve children that defied the wise words of their families. When they didn't get what they wanted they lashed out like spoiled children. Love isn't perfect nor is it instantaneous; if you believe that your soul can recognize it's other half upon sight then you're delusional, for a soul does not have eyes. You soul is blind. In order for you to love someone, you need to know them. Yes, attraction is a part of it, but attraction only makes you decide, quite shallowly, if you will approach another soul, but not if you will love them."

"So, you're saying that you don't believe in love at first sight?" Mr. Baker pushes quite huffily as if I've offended him.

I smirk and laugh a little bit, "Attraction, lust, obsession…all of these things happen at first sight, because all of these deal with how you perceive a person, how you see them. Love? Love is who this person is, to the very core of them, their soul. You cannot possible think to know a person so deeply with just a look. You have to remember that you see only what you want to see and it's why most relationships, especially those in high school, fail. When you get to know a person, get to see pieces of their soul, then you start to decide whether or not you could love this person. As you get to know them either the attraction starts to disappear or it transforms into something more, something stronger. Love comes with time, if it comes at all." I can practically hear the mix of swooning and disdain within the room, thankfully the bell rings and dismisses the class.

I slap the paper onto Mr. Baker's desk on my way out the door, not sparing the idiot a second glance. Idiots, the lot of them. "Bella! Wait up!" A voice calls me back. I slow and turn, spotting one of the girls from my math class…Angelica, I think. "Hey." She smiles. "Angela, remember?"

So I was close. "Right, from math right?" she nods, her glasses slipping a little down her nose at the action. "What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to sit with me at lunch. I mean my friends are pretty cool; you've met Jessica and Mike already. Plus it saves you the whole awkward 'I'm new and I don't know where to sit' first day thing." I laugh a little at her joke, because I was a little funny.

"Sure, why not." I shrug, though my lack of enthusiasm is lost on her as she beams and pulls me along into the cafeteria. I regret my decision immediately when we arrive to the table. I remember Jessica as the blubbering idiot from math, didn't know they were friends…then again I barely remembered her name, and Mike…he's fucking annoying, like a dog with a bone.

The focus is of course on me, the new girl aka the shiny new fucking toy. I should've just said no. I sigh at my fate, when something very cliché and yet completely peculiar happens. The entire cafeteria is reduced to whispers and looking up, I see only gold.

I see only gold.


	3. Done

**Done**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: No one is reviewing lol don't leave me hanging please! Tell me what you think, I'm begging you! **

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"_You've got to be fucking kidding me."_ I swear under my breath as I watch them stroll, no, strut into the cafeteria and take 'their' table over in the corner. I look around and see how the whole cafeteria basically slows and starts to revolve around them like some teen movie. I scoff as I look at them.

"Oh I _know_! Isn't it just sickening how perfect they are? Don't even _think_ you can get their attention though, _seriously_, I'm doing you a favor. They only hangout with each other." Jessica leans closer as if she was whispering, she's not. "They're even dating each other, isn't that just wrong? Even if they aren't related, they do all live together. They all belong behind bars if you ask me."

What a judgmental cow. "Well, I didn't ask you." I state clearly, almost laughing at the shocked and appalled look on her face as she rears back as if I've struck her. "Honestly Jennifer, I've been here all of five minutes and even I can tell that at least one of the Cullen's has rejected you and I can't say that I blame them. You sound like an ignorant, jealous bitch. And for your information, I wasn't talking about _them_…I was talking about everyone else staring and whispering about them, right in front of them, like the Cullen's have fucking rainbows shooting out of their perfect asses." I pause, seeing if she is going to stick up for herself instead of just sitting there looking stupid.

Nope, guess not. "Have you even had a conversation with them or did they take one look at you and see that you're the a-typical insecure high school girl that has to put others down just to feel better about herself when she's out behind the gym letting the football team run a train on her?" I guess I was speaking louder than I thought because as soon as the words are out of my mouth the largest Cullen burst out with laughter which sets off the rest of the student body.

"M-My name's Jessica." She stammers out meekly, face red with embarrassment and anger.

I roll my eyes as I stand, "Like I fucking care." I make my way toward the exit, catching the looks being sent my way by the Cullen's themselves, equal parts amusement and confusion, Alice though looks wonderstruck. I smirk a little to myself, knowing I've made quite the spectacle of myself by defending people I don't even know. Way to go Bella, way to fly under the radar.

Oh well, like I need 'friends' like those, I had enough of those in Phoenix. Maybe I'll be the new social outcast and they'll actually leave me be? Oh one could only hope.

* * *

Turns out I have Cullen in my Biology class, last class of the day, as well, though this Cullen is of the male variety. It takes me literally five seconds to figure out that Edward Cullen is nothing like his sister, and yet the similarities are eerie. He's broody. She's charismatic. He's serious. She's quirky. His eyes pierce. Her eyes sparkle.

Though, like his sister, he's nice, funny, even if a little dry at times. "So how many times has she asked you out?" I ask Edward as we finish the cell identification worksheet.

He grimaces, running a hand through his wild hair, a habit of his I think. "Five times…last month alone. Though I must say, I haven't had any issue with her unwanted advances since Rosalie intervened a few weeks ago…Rosalie may have, went a tad overboard but it worked so I'm not one to complain."

I shake my head with a quiet laugh, "You're a trip Edward." He smirks and shrugs, aloofly staring ahead, I just laugh at him. By the end of the period I find that I get along well with this Cullen, maybe even found a friend. Edward insists on walking me to my car, he's a bit old fashioned I think.

"Wait, wait, wait! You've never seen Harry Potter? Like _ever?_ What rock have you've been living under?" I give him my best appalled look; he just frowns as though I'm speaking another language. "Wow…you're not kidding…that's, that's just…wow."

"You sound like Emmett and Alice." He smirks.

My head shoots up, "Alice likes Harry Potter?"

His smirk drops a bit, but he nods, his hand finding his hair once more. "Yes, though I'm quite sure I've heard her saying that she believes the books to be better than the actual films, then again isn't that usually the case when it comes to that sort of thing? Which is why, I find that, it is much more useful to skip the film altogether and just read the original book."

Film? Really, this guy is unreal. I cross my arms as I lean against my truck, smirking. "If that's true then why haven't you at least read the books? And she's right by the way, the books are far better than the movies, but the movies are awesome in their own right."

"It's on my list of things to do." He lies, smirking all the while.

"Oh really?" I laugh. "What else is on this list of yours?" I ask. I'm not flirting; I didn't say it in a flirty way, so stop thinking it.

He gives me a crooked smile and shrugs, "Things."

I roll my eyes, "Oh so mysterious Edward, no wonder Jessica wants you so bad." I laugh as he grimaces once again at the mention of her name. He goes to reply but is cut short when a tall blonde steps next to him. For a moment they share this intense look, and I swear the look speaks wonders, then she turns that look to me and I about piss myself. Rosalie is one scary chick.

She looks me up and down, and normally I'd scoff and walk away but she looks like a King Cobra preparing to strike and it freaks me out. I don't move. "Isabella." I flinch at the sound of my full name falling from her lips in an almost sneer. She looks me in the eyes, paralyzing me, nods once and then turns on her very expensive looking heels and walks over to a silver Volvo.

I turn to Edward only to find him looking very, very amused…in fact it looks like he's giggling. "I think Rosalie approves." He too walks away before I can respond.

If that's what Rosalie's approval looks like then god help me if I ever get on her bad side.


	4. Distances in Observation

**Distances in Observation **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**An: so here's the next chapter it is short but I felt as though I needed to give you a view into Bella's thought process and starting hinting at a few things. As always enjoy and please don't forget to review!**

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The Cullen's are a strange bunch, and I can honestly say this seeing as I've unintentionally stalked them over the past week or so. But if it helps my case any, two of them have been stalking me as well...yeah that doesn't really sound all that better. It sounds like we're all a bunch of psychos. Maybe we are.

Anyway that's so not the point, the point is that they're strange. Odd. Besides the fact that they are indeed all adopted and yet have the same skin completion, golden eyes, and good looks. They keep to themselves, well mostly, Alice is pretty friendly and so is Edward in his own standoffish sort of way, or at least they are to me.

But it seems like they can't be bothered by the rest of the student body, not that I blame them. After my little episode with Jessica last week I've been getting two very different reactions from the student body. They either think I'm, and I quote, "fucking bitchin for out bitching the bitch" or they ignore my existence; the ones that ignore me are my favorite.

In a surprising twist of events Angela and Erik have taken to sitting with me at lunch instead of their friends, some times Kate and Ben, Erik and Angela's boyfriend/girlfriend respectively, join us. I don't see why they do this but I guess it beats the alternative of eating by myself and becoming a complete leper...or at least I think it does, I'm still on the fence.

I don't sit with Alice or Edward and they don't sit with me. It's like this unspoken thing were we only really acknowledge each other within or respective classes, not that I want to hand with them any other time. It's just a bit odd. Or maybe I'm just over thinking shit because I've caught them both staring at me as if I'm a fucking unicorn on fire reciting Dante's Inferno while doing cartwheels through the halls. Or maybe I'm over thinking that as well. Maybe I've gone crazy? That'd be a relief.

* * *

My truck has become the before school hangout for my unwanted group of friends, they think it's cool to put down the tailgate and clime into the bed while we all wait for the bell to ring. I haven't dissuaded them otherwise so I guess that's my fault...plus their not that bad, I guess. I don't really talk much, not that I'm mute, of I have something to say I say it but sometimes I don't have anything to say. They seem strangely ok with this.

Today though, I'm not saying anything. Hell, I'm not even trying to act like I'm paying attention. Charlie was actually still home when I came down this morning. It was painfully awkward. He mumbled something along the lines of 'how's school' around his coffee mug. He couldn't even look at me directly for more than a few seconds at a time. Is it really that difficult to look at your one and only daughter knowing you've down absolutely nothing to include her into your life? Well, maybe it is, but those are his issues not mine.

I sit on the side of the bed, my back against the cab window as I stare ahead of me, not really seeing much of anything. That's when I notice them, in their usual spot, congregated around that shiny silver Volvo and a monstrous green Jeep. They're...arguing? My eyes squint as I try and read their lips, but I'm useless at it.

Rosalie is standing off to one side by the Jeep, Emmett's arm slung around her shoulders. He's smirking and laughing openly, though he's always doing something like that. Rosalie looks like her usual aloof self, though if I squint really hard I can see the corner of her lips tilt upward, betraying a smirk as well.

Jasper is leaning against the back of the Volvo, focusing on his two siblings in front of him. He looks like he's trying to concentrate hard on something, but it doesn't seem to be working as he shakes with silent laughter every few seconds.

The real sight though is the two siblings squaring off in the middle of the group. It's quite a funny sight too, considering Alice is literally barely 5'3" compared to Edward's easy 6'1 and yet...it looks like Alice has backed him into an invisible corner. His hands are raised in front of him in an innocent gesture while Alice invades his personal space, a fierce glare of her usual happy features. It almost looks like he's scared of her...the thought alone is comical. Before anything else happens the bell rings an just like that the scene is broken up as if nothing had ever happened.

I shrug and make my way into the crowded halls just as everyone else does. Siblings fight, that's like the most normal thing they've done,boot all I know he insulted her choice of clothing or something.

I don't know, what do siblings argue about?

What do families argue about...?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. No use asking such silly questions, it's not like any of them matter. No, none of this matters, just keep my head down and get the fuck out of this miserable town and then I'll be okay. I just have to focus and before I know it graduation will be here. I just have to be patient. Yeah, I can do that.


End file.
